Vekarn Kha’mal, (1617 a.S. –
present) also rarely referenced as Vekarn Tak’mal in some scholarly documents,
is best known for his studies of the
Mists of Osthemangar in Northern
Sarvonia, the beasts and demons that
reside there, and the mysterious will’o’wisp.
Though this Volkek-Oshra orc
originally began his studies as a fire mage
at the Academy of
Ximax, Kha’mal’s unorthodox interest in the
field of demonology drove him out of
Xaramon. The publication of his research on demons and spirits in his three
treatises, “Book of Ineffable Madness,” “Guiding Light: The Myth of the
Wisp” and “Discussions on the North,” brought
Vekarn Kha’mal great fame in the academic world as one of the premier experts in
the field. Interestingly enough, the mage has never dared to venture into the
Mists himself, instead drawing his evidence from the journals of explorers whose
expeditions he finances.

Appearance.
As a member of the Volkek-Oshra
tribe of orcs, Kha’mal once stood at
approximately two peds in
height. Now permanently hunched as a result of decades spent pouring over the
texts housed in the New Santhalan Library, the mage’s height has shrunk by a
quite notable amount. What he has lost in length, however, he has more than
gained in girth, as evidenced by the manner in which his rotund belly strains
against his dark red robes.

By all accounts, Vekarn appears exactly as one would expect a distinguished and
dedicated scholar. Though always unequivocally well groomed, as evidenced by his
perfectly trimmed, graying beard, black ink spots seem to plague his hands and
robes like a case of mysterious pox. Never truly focused on that directly in
front of him as he scurries about his daily routine, his pensive brown eyes seem
to be perpetually staring off into the distance, as if analyzing something no
one else can see.

Although he commands considerable wealth, Vekarn shows no interest in
extravagant attire. Dressed in robes of simple cloth, Kha’mal carries only a few
accessories. Most noticeable is the golden, flame-etched medallion awarded to
all members of the Volkek-Oshra
tribe enrolled in the Red Tower of Ximax that
the mage continues to carry around his neck.

Personality.Though he is an excellent writer and quite skilled at defending
his theories in debate, holding a casual conversation with Kha’mal is always a
bit of a struggle. Whether the result of his parents’ aloofness or his
preference for solitude, the researcher never seems fully engaged in the
present, but rather appears distracted and sometimes even annoyed to be
bothered. This trait has made him few friends in
New-Santhalan (and in life in general);
a fact which he hardly seems bothered by.

What is admired by his peers, however, is his diligence and intense attention to
detail. Most often found poring over treatises, journals and tomes in the Great
Library, Kha’mal has an impressive knack for both compiling large amounts of
information and evidence and for spotting details previously unnoticed. It is
the result of these two traits that the orc’s
theories and treatises have won such wide acclaim.

Biography.Birth and Early Childhood (1617 a.S.). Vekarn
Kha’mal was born to a Volkek-Oshra
couple in the city of Ximax in 1617 a.S. Like
most members of their tribe, the two orcs were Magi of the Red Tower. Neither,
however, possessed any considerable talent and thus were unable to rise
particularly far within the Tower’s hierarchy.

That being said, the couple was far from poor. Since they were each
independently employed in the service of Ximax,
both Vekarn’s mother and father earned a salary. These dual sources of regular
income allowed the couple to amass more wealth than the average
Santharian family and provide their only
son with a comfortable childhood.

This unique economic situation did not come without its side effects, however.
Beginning at the young age of six, Vekarn was left to his own devices for most
of the day. It is believed that this lack of basic social interaction was one of
the primary factors contributing to the boy’s preference for solitude.
Furthermore, it has also been suggested that it was during this lonely time that
the orc’s interest in
demons was first piqued.

Enrollment in Ximax and Study at the
Magic Academy
(1631 a.S.). Like most other adolescents of the
Volkek-Oshra tribe, Kha’mal was
enrolled in the Red Tower as an Initiate Fire Mage at the age of fourteen. His
sharpness allowed him to progress quite rapidly through his studies at the Tower
and after only twenty four years of study graduated with a mastery of both
Sphere I and Sphere II.

While enrolled at the Magical Academy, the
orc remained aloof from his peers and professors, instead choosing to dedicated
himself to his studies. In addition to practicing the prescribed curriculum,
Vekarn also created one of his own. By making use of the Library Tower’s vast
collection of books and treatises, the young mage provided himself with a
diverse survey of knowledge.

Perhaps the single best known moment from Vekarn’s study at
Ximax is his encounter with a Will’o’Wisp in
the catacombs running beneath the city. Despite the fact that he was warned both
by the magi of the Red Tower and his
Volkek-Oshra brethren against his mission, the curious researcher undertook
an expedition into this dangerous territory and soon became dizzyingly lost.
But, just as his torch ran out, a group of
will’o’wisps appeared to him and led him to safety. It is said that this
encounter provided the inspiration for his first book, “Guiding Light: The Myth
of the Wisp,” which he published soon after
leaving the Academy.

It was also during his tenure at Ximax that
Kha’mal first became acquainted with the
Mists and began dabbling in the
arts of demonology, even to the extent of
illegal experiments. Since the practice of demonology was strictly forbidden by
the Magical Academy, upon graduating, Vekarn
decided to relocate himself to a more hospitable environment in which he could
continue his studies.

It is also rumouredthat during his time at Ximax
Kha'mal's fascination with the darker side of the element of Fire led him join
the Everbright Cult. Though the researcher refuses to confirm or deny this
statement, his relocation to New-Santhala
and general preference for solitude suggests that he most likely is not an
overly active member.

Departure from Ximax and Arrival in
New-Santhala (1655 a.S.) – In 1655,
Vekarn left Ximax in the province of Xaramon
and traveled to the capital of the Santharian
Kingdom, New-Santhala, in hopes of
gaining access to the city’s famous library. Bringing with him his
now-deceased-parents’ wealth, Kha’mal established himself in the city upon
gaining access to the library as a fully fledged Ximaxian mage, and has remained
there ever since. During his time in
New-Santhala, Vekarn has both been exposed to the works that influenced him
most and written his most influential treatises.

Publication of First Treatise (1659 a.S.). Just
four years after leaving the Magical Academy,
Kha’mal published his first book; one which was inspired by his encounters with
the will’o’wisps in the catacombs beneath
Ximax. Based on tireless hours of research,
the book “Guiding Light: The Myth of the Wisp,”
was one of the first academic accounts published on the mysterious creatures and
provided both an account of the author’s interaction with them as well as new
theories about their creation.

In the tome, Vekarn Kha'mal puts forward the belief that the
wisp is born from the remains of the dead and
that they are in fact spirits, as opposed to previous theories which had
asserted that the wisp was merely an
illusion. He further asserts that the wisps
actually can reproduce by joining together to create a larger
wisp or even separate themselves to create
several other smaller wisps. Finally, Kha'mal
states that a wisp may simply be a part of
one larger entity that splits and joins as needed. For what purpose the ’Master
Wisp’ would behave this way, he admits, he
does not yet understand.

Expeditions to the Mists (1660 a.S.). Not long
after he completed his first publication did Kha’mal turn his attention to his
next major subject of research, the
Mists of Osthemangar. Inspired by the work of renowned
Sage Artimidor Frederkiel, Kha’mal was determined to
research both the trecherous lands and the savage, tainted beasts that resided
there. Using the wealth he inherited from his parents, the curious orc funded a
series of expeditions into the Mists
of Osthemangar with the hope of studying the interior. His plan, however,
encountered some major set backs as the vast majority of the explorers he hired
never returned home again to recount their tales.

Publication of “Ineffable Madness” (1666 a.S.). Six
years of information gathering were brought to fruition when in 1666 Kha’mal
published of a comprehensive treastise on the
Mists and the beasts within
entitled “Ineffable Madness”. The vast scope of the material and creative
theories brought its author respect among academics throughout the
Santharian Kingdom and established him as
the premier scholar in the field. Now, only five years later, Kha’mal’s theories
are accepted universally as fact.

The first topic dicsussed in “Ineffable Madness“ are the
netherbeasts of the
Mists. Here, Kha’mal asserts that
the netherbeast is one of the lowest
demon forms existing in the
Netherworld, often used as fodder and
front line soldiers for more powerful beings. As evidence for his assertions,
Kha’mal cites historical accounts taken from the
War of the Chosen, the Third
Sarvonian War, the Battle of Hegedorn and the Battle of Osthemangar, and shows
how in all of these instances, the
netherbeasts were forced to obey commands from a higher power without
hesitation.

The book then goes on to discuss how these beasts reproduce. Based on the
observations reported to him, Kah’mal proposed a theory stating the creature's
saliva is tainted with the netherworldly,
blighted presence that, when introduced into a living or dead host, infected it.
Over time, this infection would spread, eventually turning the creature into a
netherbeast itself.

The second major beast discussed in “Ineffable Madness” is the mysterious
mystran. In regards to this beast, Kha’mal
asserts that it must remain close to the place from which it was spawned (the
Netherworld), for it is from here that
the mystran draws its strength. According
to Kha’mal, if the creature were ever to venture outside of the
Mists, its strength would diminish
and it would grow vulnerable. To support this idea, Kha’mal draws upon
historical evidence from the Third Sarvonian War. Kha’mal asserts that the
reason the orcen armies lost their strength as
they invaded the south was because the
mystran’s power, and thus the strength of their possession of the orcs,
waned the farther from their home the mystrans
traveled.

Publication of Treatise on Shades (1670 a.S.).
Using the information of the explorers sent out by his expeditions, Kha’mal has
recently compiled a treatise on another phenomenon of the
Mists, the Shades. Though the
observations he received were less detailed than those on the
netherbeasts and
mystran, the treatise, entitled
“Discussions on the North,“ still establishes many key facts about these beasts.
First, based on his explorers’ probing, Kha’mal is able to assert that the
Shades were born neither of natural nor magical processes. Secondly, he is able
to provide them with a physical form, stating that they resemble the fabled
Móh'rhím. And finally, “Dicusssions on
the North“ makes it clear that the creatures seem to be neither living nor dead,
but rather somehow caught between our world and the
Netherworld as the
Mists have seeped through.

Into the Mists (1671 a.S.).
In order to further his understanding of his field , Kha’mal has recently
announced that he will be personally venturing into the
Mists of Osthemangar to study the
land and the beasts it contains. Though the expedition is still in the planning
phase, he hopes to depart sometime early next year.

The researcher has made it known that he hopes to recruit famed
Injerín explorer, Saryas Kelweather,
to serve as his guide and as an interview subject. Having left
New-Santhala last year to journey
north, it is believed the orc is in the process of pleading his case to both the
elf and the Kaaer’dár’shín half-orcs,
whose Mist Hunters would serve as their guides. The process has taken markedly
longer than anticipated as Kha’mal’s race has made the Northerners suspicious of
him and his credentials.

Importance.
As the leading researcher on the
Mists of Osthemangar,
Vekarn Kha’mal’s importance in the academic world is indisputable. Through the
investment of his personal wealth, the
Volkek-Oshra
has accumulated one of the largest collections of first hand accounts on the
Mists and its beasts throughout
Caelereth. Furthermore, his meticulous and
dedicated analysis of said collection has led to groundbreaking discoveries in
the study of northern Caaehl'heroth. Without Kha’mal’s contributions, much of
the information and theories considered by modern scholars as ‘fact’ about the
beasts of the Netherworlds would not
exist.

Kha’mal’s contributions to the
New-Santhalan Library also extend beyond the topic of the Netherworld and
the Mists. His “Guiding Light: The Myth of the
Wisp” is one of the
first sources published to consider the wisp
outside of myth and folklore. Though it is not his main field of study,
Kha’mal’s work on the wisps is groundbreaking
because it is provides first-hand observations of the mysterious beings and well
thought out theories on their reproduction.